Trine heading where it wants to go

Devin Leas was Trine's leading rusher in its last
loss, in the playoffs last year at Wittenberg. But the Thunder have
a couple of running backs starting ahead of him.
d3photography.com file photo by David Rich

There will be no surrender, or a white flag of
moral victory carried into or out of UW-Whitewater’s Perkins
Stadium on Saturday when the Trine Thunder, of Angola, Ind., play
the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Warhawks.

Forget about any kudos No. 12-ranked Trine has
given the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association by winning
a first-round playoff game for the second year in the row by
beating DePauw on the road 45-35 last year. Trine head coach Matt
Land will tell you, frankly, that’s so last year. Trine
whipped Case Western Reserve 51-38 in the first round in 2009.

“It’s hard to win a playoff game,
let along to win a playoff game on the road,” Land said.
“It’s something that you can build on throughout the
season, but winning a playoff game isn’t good enough anymore.
We’ve done that. We have to continue to get better and
advance our program. That’s what we’ve been talking
about.”

Land said he is happy with what Trine has been
able to accomplish in the MIAA. The Thunder has won three straight
conference titles after Land took over a 0-10 team in 2006, when
the school was known at Tri-State University. But he said his team
should not settle on MIAA wins and an occasional playoff
victory. He said the Thunder has higher goals, and those
goals don’t get any higher than taking on UW-Whitewater.

In short, Land said UW-Whitewater is where
Trine wants to be.

“We didn’t come here to win
conference titles,” Land said. “We want to win national
titles. We’re still working towards that. To do that, you
have to win your conference and represent it well in the playoffs.
We take that honor with great regard.”

So, just how do you beat a perennial national
power like Whitewater? Land said Trine needs to do what the Thunder
does best, first and foremost.

“Nothing we do here is rocket
science,” Land said of his team, which is averaging more than
500 yards in total offense a game and averages 47.5 points a game.
“You have to play better than the team you’re playing
against. The fact that we’re playing Whitewater is not the
driving force behind what we do. We play a nameless, faceless
opponent each week. Whitewater is a great football team and they
have a great coaching staff, but we can’t change how we
prepare for a game each week.”

Land said he’s certainly not downplaying
taking on the Warhawks. He said it will be a great challenge for
the Thunder to duplicate the numbers they have produced all year
while going 11-0, but the Thunder will be prepared to try to do
just that.

“It’s the biggest game we’ve
had in five years,” Land said. “It’s big when
you’re playing the defending national champion and No. 1 team
in the country with a pretty good football team. It’s all we
can ask for. A lot of people want to make our seed and strength of
schedule a topic of conversation.

“They fail to remember we’re
talking about student-athletes here and we’re a pretty good
football team getting ready to play another pretty good football
team. There are only 16 teams left. You’re not going to get a
patsy anywhere. This is an opportunity for us to play the best. In
order to be the best, which is what we want to be, you have to beat
the best.”

Trine will try to do that behind three-year
starter Eric Watt at quarterback, one of 10 finalists for the
Gagliardi Trophy, given to the top student-athlete in Division III
football. Watt has accounted for 36 touchdowns this season, 31 of
them passing while throwing for 2,597 yards (171-for-256, five
interceptions).

“He started last three years and has a
29-1 record and 2-2 in the playoffs,” Land said.
“He’s a great football player, a great leader and has a
3.6 GPA. I think he’s one of the best players in country.
He’s a great player but he’s an even better
person.”

Paul Curtis has been on the receiving end of
11 of those touchdown passes while JaVontae Hence and Thomas Wynn
have caught nine scoring passes each.

Hence has also rushed for another seven
touchdowns. Back Kent Biller leads a balanced running attack,
rushing for 838 yards on 119 carries (7 yards per carry).

Eric Watt has been promoted to Gagliardi Trophy
voters all season and has a chance to live up to that
billing.
d3photography.com file photo by David Rich

“It’s no secret that we want to
get (Curtis and Hence) the ball,” Land said.
“There’s an age old question that when you have a lot
of great football players, how do you get the ball to each one. We
don’t. Our kids don’t care.

“The past two weeks, Paul had almost had
400 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Last week, he had two
catches for 25 yards and JaVontae and over 150 yards and two
touchdowns. Its pick your poison. If you worry about those two
guys, Kent Biller will run for 100 yards on you. We want to
be balanced and that’s by design. We want people to defend
the entire field against us, vertically and horizontally. You
can’t cheat or roll to one person over because our
quarterback will go through his progressions and find the open
person.”

Defensively Trine has been sparked by
defensive back Aaron Selking, who has picked off seven passes and
leads the Thunder in tackles. Land said Selking is an example of a
senior class that continued to improve as a group each year,
allowing Trine to advance along with them.

“He’s another three-year starter
who is an outstanding football player,” Land said. “If
you can say every year that your senior class has gotten better, I
think you won’t have a problem saying that you now have a
program.”

Land said this senior class has helped lead
Trine to three consecutive years of national rankings and two
playoff wins, but added that it’s important for this group to
take the next step with another playoff victory, even if it means
trying to defeat the defending national champions in their den.
Close won’t be good enough, Land said.

“There are no moral victories,”
Land said. “Whoever made up that cliché lost the
game.”

There will be no surrender or a white flag of
morale victory carried into or out of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s
Perkins Stadium on Saturday when the Trine Thunder, of Angola,
Ind., play the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion
Warhawks.

Forget about how much kudos No. 12-ranked
Trine has given the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
by winning a first round playoff game for the second year in the
row by beating DePauw on the road 45-35 last year. Trine head coach
Matt Land will tell you, frankly, that’s so last year. Trine
whipped Case Western 51-38 in the first round in 2009.

“It’s hard to win a playoff game,
let along to win a playoff game on the road,” Land said.
“It’s something that you can build on throughout the
season, but winning a playoff game isn’t good enough anymore.
We’ve done that. We have to continue to get better and
advance our program. That’s what we’ve been talking
about.”

Land said he is happy with what Trine has been
able to accomplish in the MIAA. The Thunder has won three straight
conference titles after Land took over a 0-10 team in 2006, when
the school was known at Tri-State University. But he said his team
should not settle on MIAA wins and an occasional playoff
victory. He said the Thunder has higher goals,
and those goals don’t get any higher than taking on
Wisconsin-Whitewater.

In short, Land said Wisconsin-Whitewater is
where Trine wants to be.

“We didn’t come here to win
conference titles,” Land said. “We want to win national
titles. We’re still working towards that. To do that, you
have to win your conference and represent it well in the playoffs.
We take that honor with great regard.”

So, just how do you beat a perennial national
power like Wisconsin-Whitewater? Land said Trine needs to do what
the Thunder does best, first and foremost.

“Nothing we do here is rocket
science,” Land said of his team, which is averaging more than
500 yards in total offense a game and averages 47.5 points a game.
“You have to play better than the team you’re playing
against. The fact that we’re playing Whitewater is not the
driving force behind what we do. We play a nameless, faceless
opponent each week. Whitewater is a great football team and they
have a great coaching staff, but we can’t change how we
prepare for a game each week.”

Land said he’s certainly not downplaying
taking on Wisconsin-Whitewater. He said it will be a great
challenge for the Thunder to duplicate the numbers they have
produced all year while going 11-0, but the Thunder will be
prepared to try to do just that.

“It’s the biggest game we’ve
had in five years,” Land said. “It’s big when
you’re playing the defending national champion and No. 1 team
in the country with a pretty good football team. It’s all we
can ask for. A lot of people want to make our seed and strength of
schedule a topic of conversation.

“They fail to remember we’re
talking about student-athletes here and we’re a pretty good
football team getting ready to play another pretty good football
team. There are only 16 teams left. You’re not going to get a
patsy anywhere. This is an opportunity for us to play the best. In
order to be the best, which is what we want to be, you have to beat
the best.”

Trine will try to do that behind three-year
starter Eric Watt at quarterback. Watt has accounted for 36
touchdowns this season, 31 of them passing while throwing for 2,597
yards (171-256-5).

“He started last three years and has
29-1 record and 2-2 in the playoffs,” Land said.
“He’s a great football player, a great leader and has a
3.6 GPA. I think he’s one of the best players in country.
He’s a great player but he’s an even better
person.”

Paul Curtis has been on the receiving end of
11 of those touchdown passes while JaVontae Hence and Thomas Wynn
have caught nine scoring passes each.

Hence has also rushed for another seven
touchdowns. Back Kent Biller leads a balanced running attack,
rushing for 838 yards on 119 carries (7 yards per carry).

“It’s no secret that we want to
get (Curtis and Hence) the ball,” Land said.
“There’s an age old question that when you have a lot
of great football players, how do you get the ball to each one. We
don’t. Our kids don’t care.

“The past two weeks, Paul had almost had
400 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Last week, he had two
catches for 25 yards and JaVontae and over 150 yards and two
touchdowns. Its pick your poison. If you worry about those two
guys, Kent Biller will run for 100 yards on you.
We want to be balanced and that’s by designed. We want people
to defend the entire field against us, vertically and horizontally.
You can’t cheat or roll to one person over because our
quarterback will go through his progressions and find the open
person.”

Defensively Trine has been sparked by
defensive back Aaron Selking, who has picked off seven passes and
leads the Thunder in tackles. Land said Selking is an example of a
senior class that continued to improve as a group each year,
allowing Trine to advance along with them.

“He’s another three-year starter
who is an outstanding football player,” Land said. “If
you can say every year that your senior class has gotten better, I
think you won’t have a problem saying that you now have a
program.”

Land said this senior class has helped lead
Trine to three straight years of national rankings and two playoff
wins, but added that it’s important for this group to take
the next step with another playoff victory, even if it means trying
to defeat the defending national champions in their den. Close
won’t be good enough, Land said.

“There are no moral victories,”
Land said. “Whoever made up that cliché lost the
game.”